Scientifically, ceramics are compounds of metallic and non-metallic elements. There are also manufactured ceramic materials such as diamond, SiC and Si3N4 and so on. In modern applications, a broader definition applies to the term ceramic, that is everything that is not a metal or organic material. Ceramics are inorganic as well as non-metallic materials which have been processed or used at high temperatures.

There are various types of ceramic products which we have classed under four distinct categories-

1. Structural – it includes roof and floor tiles, pipes and bricks.

2. White wares – they include objects like decorative, sanitary ware, table ware and wall tiles. The examples of white ware ceramics are stone ware, porcelain, bone china and earthen ware.

3. Refractories like glass and steel building crucibles, gas fire radiant and kiln linings.

4. Technical or fine ceramics. such products include tiles applied in the space shuttle program, ballistic fortification, bio-medical implants, missile nose cones, nuclear fuel uranium oxide pellets and jet engine turbine.

The various properties of ceramics are discussed below-

1. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES- they are crystalline or amorphous and are usually covalently bonded or iconic substances. Ceramic materials also show plastic deformations.

2. ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES- they are semi conductors and most of them are transitional metal oxides. However under extremely low temperatures some ceramics become superconductors.

Tags: Ceramics, Handcraft, Scrapbooking

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